Turkish Police Detain around 30 in Connection with Ergenekon Case

Turkish police detained around 30 people including retired generals, academicians and writers under the "Ergenekon" probe on Wednesday.

A criminal court in Istanbul decided to "arrest several people, search their houses and launch a new investigation" under the "Ergenekon" case upon an appeal of a prosecutor.

Around 30 people have been detained in six cities, particularly Ankara and Istanbul, under the new investigation.

Among the detainees are Kemal Gürüz (former chairman of the Higher Board of Education), Professor Yalcin Küçük, retired general Erdal Senel (former judicial adviser to the General Staff), a police chief, a naval officer and a colonel.

Also, police seized two hand grenades, weapons and ammunition in the investigation carried out in the central Anatolian city of Sivas.

An alleged criminal network that came to be known as "Ergenekon" was revealed after police seized 27 grenades, TNT explosives and fuses in a shanty house in Istanbul on June 12, 2007 and Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into weapons. Police waged operations in several provinces and detained a number of people, including retired senior army officers, journalists and businessmen,for their alleged involvement in the network.

A criminal court in Istanbul began trying 86 suspects, 46 of whom were in prison, in the "Ergenekon terrorist organization" case on October 20, 2008. Among the suspects were retired general Veli Küçük, Labor Party chairman Dogu Perinçek, Cumhuriyet daily's editor-in-chief Ilhan Selçuk, and Professor Kemal Alemdarog(lu, the former president of Istanbul University.

Retired general S,ener Eruygur, the chairman of the Kemalist Thought Association; retired general HursitTolon; journalist Tuncay Özkan; and Sinan Aygün, the chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce; were detained within the scope of the investigation, but were later released.

The prosecutor has not prepared an indictment regarding Eruygur, Tolon, Aygün and Özkan yet. Retired general Eruygur was released from prison due to his health problems.

The 2,455-page indictment regarding the Ergenekon probe carried out by prosecutors Zekeriya Öz, Mehmet Ali Pekgüzel and Nihat Taskin indicts 86 people on charges of attempting to overthrow Turkish government.

Prosecutors demanded life-imprisonment for some suspects including Küçük, Perinçek and Alemdarogluon charges of attempting to overthrow Turkish government by force and inciting murder.

Today's Zaman

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[muhabir34]

This news prepared by Today's Zaman. It is a Turkish Newspaper. :))

[johnchianini]

this news like cnn or bbc,may be worldpress:)